Francis eilershausekt



F. ELLERSHAUSEN.

Making Iron and Steel.

Patented May 12,1868.

- guiteh giants iatmt @ffirr.

FRANCIS ELLERSHAUSEN, OF MONTREAL/CANADA.

Letters -Patent No. 77,722, dated May 12, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN TURNAGES AND PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL.

flit: fitlgrhuh 'mcrnh In in thestfittttrs ifiattnt rub making out at llpamae.

TOv ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, Framers ELLnnsnAnssN, of Montreal, Canada, have invented a newand improved Furnace for the Manufacture of Cast Steel from Cast and Pig-Iron; and I do hereby declare that the followirig is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being -had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the furnace.

Figure 2 represents a horizontal section of the furnace through the fire-bars on line A B.

Figure 3 represents a vertical longitudinal section through the furnace.

v Figure 4 represents a vertical longitudinal section of a modification of the roof ofthe fire-chambers-in furnace. 1

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This-invention relates to a new furnace for the manufacture of cast steel from pig-iron, in conjunction with wrought iron or iron ore, and for the purpose of smelting blistered sts el in large quantities and re smelting metals in gcnerabj i The invention consists, first, in the novel combination of two fire-chambers, which are separated by a bridge, a large crucible being set up in one chamber, the fire in which chamber surrounds the crucible, while the other is a reverb'eratory fire-'chamber, by means of which the heat around the crucible is brought to an extreme degree.

The invention cousists,second, in the employment of large crucibles, which are provided with dischargeholes through their sides, and in which large quantities of metal can, in a short time, be smelted.

The invention finally consists in a new process of producing'cast steel by placing cast iron in a large crucible, of the aforesaid description, as will hereinafter be more fully described.

By the use of my improved furnace, a degree of temperature can be obtained greatly in excess of any degree of heat heretofore produced in crucible or reverberatory furnaces used in the manufacture of steel.

.' Thusa. crucible of two inches in thickness, and sufliciently large to contain one thousand pounds of metal,

will convert this quantity in half the time now occupied in smelting themeta l contained in a crucible which holds'no more than fifty pounds; and by my invention the heated crucible will stand for many days work, as

i the temperature of the same is not varied. As I am enabled to tap the crucible, thepperation can be continued without interruption as lon'gas the crucible will hold.

Letter (1 represents the shell of the furnace, which may be built, in the form shown inthe drawing, of ordi nary briclrs or stonesybut lined on the inside with fire-bricks. It will be strengthened by an iron casing on the outer side. 6 is the principal fire-chamber, supplied with coke or anthracite coal, and is provided with gratc bars a e, ash-pits d d, and doore, for the admission of fuel and of the crucible. f is the outlet for the fire chambers into the chimney g. is a stand for the support of the crucible, built of fire-brick, and of sufiicient size for any convenient dimension of crucible employed. i is the crucible referred to. The same is of large size, and is perforated near the bottom, as at z". k is the aperture in the roof of the furnace immediately above the mouth of the crucible. This aperture is also made use of for the manipulation of the'materialin the crucible during the process of conversion. 10. is the cover of the crucible used in fig. 3, and p is the upper hole in the crucible for discharging the slag. Z isa second fire-chamber, separated from the first fire-chamber, b, by

' the firebridge m. This second fire-chamber is also provided with the requisite grate-bars and ash-pit, but with the beaten and. around the crucible.

an arched roof, as shown at n. o is the door for the admission of fuel into the fire-chamber, which, in this casc,

must consist of bituminous coal, for the purpose of creating a flame. Both of these fire-chambers are supplied with air-pipes from afan-blast, for facilitating the combustion. I

In a'inodification shownin fig. 4, it will be seen that tho configuration of the roof of each fire-chamber differs in some respects from that shown in the other figures, being arched for the purpose of throwing the flame from the second fire-chamber Zinto the mouth of the crucible, while in fig. 3 the reverberatory fire is to increase I will now proceed to describe the mode of operation.

In the furnace shown in figs. 1, 2, and 3, the modus operandi is as'follows: After both'fires are started, and the furnace brought. to a white heat, molten cast iron is poured into the crucible, in suchquantiti'es as will form steel of the'require'd quality, iuconjunction with malleable iron. After the introduction of cast iron, vitreous fluxes are introduced, in order to protect the metal from oxygenation. Wrough-iron scraps are then brought'to a white heat in an adjoining furnace, and are slowly introduced, in suitable quantities,-into the cast iron already in the crucible, and the same is melted by contact withthe cast iron. When the proper proportious of cast andwrou ght ironhave beenthusrmixed in the crucible, and a proper fusion secured, the metal is drawn'ofi', as cast steel, through the discharge-pipe i, and the process repeated.

The next and important use of my improved furnace is its capacity for smelting and refining blistered or any other steel, or any other metals desired to be resmelted or refined, as my furnace will dothe same work in less than half the time, and in far larger quantities during each operation; 7

In the modification of furnace shown in tig.'4, the well-known puddling process i fol e with the w ing modifications: The working-hole is on the top of the furnace instead of on the side. The paddling itself isdone by means of a ball of iron attached to the; end of an iron har,zo.perate l in a Vertical dllectimb y a pulley and chain or by.hand. The crucible takes the place of the-hearth, andin doing so the hearth or cruci-; ble is heated from the reverberatory fire, and at the same, time ass sted by th r around the crucible, p ducing an intense heat. When the interior of the chambers is at a whitchheat, a quantity of cast iron is introduced into the crucible, and the puddling process begin s,h'nd suifici ent' quan e 0f pulverized n ore are'mixed with purifying fluxes or agents, and pulverized charcoal is intro y degreeslihl'ougll tho/feed hole K, and worked up with the melted cast iron until the metal comes to nature or becomes pasty. The slag. is thenrun off through the slag-hole, and the'required proportion of cast iron added to formthe required quality of stee The cover is either put on the crucible, or vitreous flux is added, to prcrcntthc oxidation of the steel, and the blast increased in the fire-chamber b. The cast iron last added will carbonize the pasty material before alluded to, and the whole will become liqu'id, and after allowing sufiicient time for fusing, the cast steel is ready for drawingofi.

I do not confine myself to the precise details herein set forth, as they may be slightly varied to suit circumstauces, in form of furnace employed, and various qualities of, steel to be manufactured; but

What I claim 'as my invention, and desire to'secure by etters Patent, is-- 1. The furnace, in its novel combination of two fire-chambers, b and Z, separated by fire-bridge m, as shown in the two modifications, one chamber being a crucible fire-chamber, and the other a reverberutory fireschamber, both in connection with the crucible i, all working together, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described. r

2. The process of smelting and refining metals in large quantities and in short time, by the employment of a large crucible with discharge-hole.

3. The puddling of cast iron in a crucible placed in'my fureace, and surrounded by fire, the product beingcast steel, substantially in the manner described.

Tbe above specification of my invention sign-ed by me, this 6tth day of April, 1868.

' FRANCIS ELLERSHAU SEN Witnesses:

WM. F. MONAMARA, ALEX. F. ROBERTS. 

